GARDINER — The investigation report on an alleged puppy mill will go to the Jefferson County prosecuting attorney Tuesday after 41 animals — 17 of them dogs — were seized.
Acting on a tip, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies seized seven puppies, 10 adult dogs and 24 goats and chickens from a property in the 276000 block of U.S. Highway 101 on Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release issued Friday.
Capt. Ben Stamper of the Sheriff’s Office said it was “obvious the entire property was being used to farm puppies.”
Owner not present
The owner, who has not been identified, was not present when the deputies arrived with the warrant, Stamper said.
Paul Becker, president of the Jefferson County Humane Society, which is housing many of the dogs, identified the dogs as being rare in the U.S. They are known as Anatolian shepherds, or kangals.
He referred to the situation as a “classic puppy mill.”
Stamper said the investigation report will go to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Tuesday for a charging decision.
Squalid conditions
The animals were living in squalid conditions, Stamper said, adding that the dogs were living in or under an old log cabin or shed on the 1-acre property.
Goats were also living in the building, he said. Chickens were living in a separate enclosure with a small pen.
Stamper said he saw no traditional dog food in the building. Bowls held “some kind of food” that the dogs did not eat, he added.
Water was present in 5-gallon pails that Stamper said would be impossible for puppies to use.
One dog had an open leg wound, which Stamper said may have been the result of dominance fighting with other dogs.
Becker said the owner apparently came by the property occasionally to feed the animals.
Sheriff Dave Stanko described the dogs as “very skinny” and said they put their tails between their legs when the deputies arrived on the property.
Center Valley Animal Rescue in Quilcene is housing eight goats, eight to 10 chickens and a number of the dogs, estimated Director Sara Penhallegon.
She said she could not comment on their condition.
The animals are being assessed by a veterinarian at Center Valley to assure “they receive everything they need,” she said.
Traumatized animals
Becker said he did not know if the dogs would be adoptable in the future.
The kangals were essentially living on their own, he said, without much human contact. He said the animals were probably “traumatized” by the capture process in addition to being moved to a new facility.
The United Kennel Club (www.ukc.com) reports that the kangals, also classified as herding dogs, are about 3 feet in length from head to hindquarters; they vary from 90 to 130 pounds.
The shelter “staff has to be careful” around the dogs, Becker added. “It’s going to take a period of time” before they grow accustomed to human contact.
Penhallegon joked that at her shelter, “no one has been eaten yet.”
Stanko said Deputy Bruce Turner, the county animal control officer, began the investigation six weeks ago following complaints that animals were “being neglected and possibly abused.”
The shoulder along U.S. Highway 101 was closed for several hours to allow the safe removal of the animals.
Becker acknowledged that the situation was “heartbreaking.”
Still, he said, “it is very uplifting that the animals will receive proper care and shelter.”
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Assistant Managing Editor Mark Swanson can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55450, or mswanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
